Display-case.



No. 704,005. Patented luly 8,v |902.

F. B. DEITER.

DISP-LAY CASE.

(Appncatin med Mm. 2a. 1901.;

(No Model.)

Wozu ms UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. DEITEIIt, OF COUDERSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPLAY-onse.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 704,005, dated July s, 1902.

Application filed March 23, 1901.

'To @ZZ whom, it may con/067%:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. DEIrER,a citiaen of the United States, residing at Coudersport,in the county of Potter and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented a new and useful Dis play-Case, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to showcases, and more particularly to one intended for the display and sale of cigars and like merchvandise.

The object of the invention is to provide a show-case having a swinging front capable of operation from the rear, whereby the salesman can quickly and easily open the front of the case, exposing the merchandise to the purchaser, and thereby avoiding the trouble of withdrawing the articles from the case, as now done with show-cases in general use.

Another object is to provide a case of this kind which can be quickly and easily opened from the rear and automatically locked in an open position, thus affording the purchaser an abundance of time without requiring the direct attention-of the salesman.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain details of construction and novel combinations of the parts whereby the operation of the device is facilitated, all these features being fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forminga part of this speciiication, Figure l is a perspective View of a show-case constructedin accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail sectional View taken through the rear of the curved guide; Fig. 4, a perspective view taken from the rear and showing means for operating the front; Fig. 5, a detail sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3; and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective and sectional views, respectively, of the rear edge of the movablefront.

In carrying out my invention I employ a show-case having ratched sides and top, said sides and top being preferably constructed of glass and held in suit-able framework. The back of the case has the usual form 0f hinged door. The front A of the case is curved or segmental in form and is intended to slide upwardly and rearwardly for the purpose of exposing the contents of the case to a pur- Serial No. 52,560. (N o model.)

chaser, and in order to guide the movement of said frontI provide curved guides B at each side of the case, said curved guides extending from the front of the case to the extreme rear of the case, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to reduce the friction of the sliding front within the guides, I arrange a series of antifriction-balls C, said balls being held in place by means of a perforated plate D, the ball projecting through the perforation and serving as a bearing, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5. Cords E are attached to the rear end of the movable front and extend along curved guides out through openings M in the rear end of the, case and over the guide-pulleys E', arranged at each side of the case, and also over the guide-pulleys E2, arranged centrally at the rear of the case. After passing over the pulleys E2 the cords E are attached to the operating-handle or foot-rest F, by means of which the front can be opened by throwing the lever down. A slight pull upon the front is sufficient to cause it to slide rearwardly in the curved guides B, and in order to prevent too great a jar as the front reaches its extreme rearward movement I arrange coiled springs G at the rear ends of the guides B, said springs acting as cushions against which the rear end of the front abuts, and in practice I prefer to pass the operating-cords E through the said springs and under a guide-pulley E3 before passing the said. cord over the guide-pulley E', heretofore referred to. Y

A gravity-catch H is pivoted at the rear of the case, the engaging end H extending int-o the case and adapted for engagement with a notch J in the rear end of the sliding front, the rear end of the said catch being weighted, as shown at H2, so that the said catch will act automatically by gravity, and when the operating-lever is thrown down to pull the cords the front of the case is ,slid or moved rearwardly and the rear end is engaged by the automatic catch, holding the said front locked in an open position.

If desired, the rear edge of the glassA may be provided with caps or blocks K and L, of Wood or metal, for the engagement of the catch and chains, respectively.

When it is desired to close the front, the gravity-catch is rclcascd and the lever lifted.

The front is `so constructed and balanced that it will automatically return to its normal position, and the spring G will assist in starting the front in its forward direction.

Any suitable form of buers may be einployed upon the case to `prevent any suddenI jar in closing, and a most convenient means will be the employment of rubber stop-buttons I, arranged upon the cords E at the rear of the case.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simple and eiiicient construction of show-case in' which vthe front can be quickly and easily opened from the rear and automaticallyy case with its ends mounted in said guide; ways, a spring located in the rear portion of eachk guideway, a'cord secured to each end of the front and extending through its respective spring and out through the opening in the case, and a catch for engaging with the rear of the front and holding it in its rearward position.

2. In a show-case, a case, the front of which is curved and movable to the rear, springs at the rear of the case for engaging with the front when it is drawn to the rear, a cord secured to each end of the front and provided with means for operating it, a yielding stop in each cord to cushion the force of the front when it reaches the limit of its forward movement, and an automatic'catch for holding the front in its rearward position.

FRANK B. DEITER.

Witnesses:

WM. A. SHEAR, GEO. W. GAVIN. 

